Heat pump



March 7; 1933 C G MUNTERS 1,900,656

HEAT PUMP Filed May 5, 1931 IN VEN TOR.

' (19ml G. Munrers.

A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL GEORG HUNTERS, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 ELEGIROLUX SERVE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HEAT PUMP Application filed May 5, 1981, Serial No. 585,105, and in Germany September 27, 1930.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for pumping liquid from a lower to a higher level and more specifically to a vapor liquid pump for circulating the liquid in one direction without the use of valves.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows schematically a vapor liquid pump contemplated by this invention.

In the drawing a pump vessel contains a liquid, for instance water, which is to be circulated and is adapted to be heated by any desired m'eans such as gas burner 11. A container 12 located at the level to which it is desired to raise the water is connected to the pump through the rising pump pipe 13 which is connected at one end to the lower part of the pump vessel 10 and terminates at its other end in a gooseneck 14 which is connected to the container 12. A receiver 15 is connected at its lower part to a pipe 16 which extends into the pump vessel 10 terminating near the bottom thereof as shown. The pipe 16 is provided with baflie plates 17 or similar devices for creating a high resistance to liquid flow through this pipe. The hi h liquid flow resistance of the pipe 16 may be obtained in any of several known ways, for instance, by making the pipe of a very small cross section as a capillary tube.

When the pump vessel 10 is heated the liquid contained therein vaporizes and vapor collecting in the upper part of the vessel 85 creates a pressure which tends to force the liquid out of the vessel through both the pump pipe 13 and the high resistance pipe 16. Depending on the vapor pressure in the pump vessel a certain amount of liquid is forced out of the vessel per unit time and in accordance with this invention the flow resistance of the pipe 16 is made such that when 'a certain amount of liquid is forced out per unit time through pipe 16 a velocity is created such that corresponding flow resistance in terms of liquid column height is greater than the lifting height from the pump vessel 10 to the container 12. The difl'erence between the quantities of liquid forced through the pump pipe 13 and the resistance pipe 16 debe made in the construction and'arrangement pends on the relative resistance to liquid flow in these pipes. The total resistance in pump pipe 13 comprises the static difference in level of the liquid in pump Vessel 10 and the highest point of the pipe 13 and the dynamic flow resistance of this pipe. The total resistance in pipe 16 comprises the static difi'erence in levels between the liquid levels in the pump vessel 10 and the receiver 15 and the dynamic flow resistance in pipe 16.

When the desired amount of liquid has been pumped into the container 12 the pressure in the pump vessel is lowered, for instance by removing the heat, and the liquid which was forced into the receiver 15 through pipe 16 during the pumping cycle flows back to the pump vessel again by gravity. The liquid in the container 12, however, cannot return due to the gooseneck 14 at the upper end of the pumping pipe 13. The quantity of liquid pumped into the container 12 can be replaced in the pump vessel .in any suitable manner as for instance b supplying receiver 15 through pipe 18. f

repeated circulation of the li uid is desired such as in absorption type rei rigerating apparatus, the liquid pumped into the container 12 may be returned directly, or after usethereof, to the receiver 15 through the pipe 18. The arrangement described is only .exemplary and other modifications and variations in design will be apparent to those skilled in the art, for instance, instead of turning off the heat the vapor pressure in the pump vessel may be varied in otherways as by periodically relieving the pressure through a valve which may conveniently be a suitable liquid seal. Many other modifications ;may

without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawingrand described in the specification but only -as in-' dicated in the appendedclaims.

vI claim: i 1. A liquid pump comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, a container above said vessel, a pipe connected to the bottom of said container and terminatmg within and adjacent the bottom of said 1160 vessel, bafliing means within said pipe, and a rising pump pipe connected at one' end to the lower part of said vessel and terminating at its other end in a gooseneck.

5 2. A liquid pump comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, a vertically disposed pipe having its lower end extending within and terminating in the lower part of said vessel, liquid flow resisting to means in said pipe, and a second vertically disposed pipe having its lower end connected to the lower part of said vessel.

3. A liquid pump comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, a pump pipe rising from the lower part of said vessel, a container above said vessel, and a pipe, having a greater resistance to liquid flow than said pump pipe, connecting said container to the lower part of said vessel.

4. A liquid pump comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, and two rising pipes communicating with the lower part of said vessel, one of said pipes having a greater resistance to liquid flow than the other.

5. A liquid pump comprising a fluid tight vessel, two rising pipes communicating with the lower part of said vessel, one of said pipes having a greater resistance to liquid flow than the other, and means for intermittently creating a fluid pressure in said vessel.

6. Aliquid pump comprising a closed vessel, a liquid supply line to said vessel, a discharge pipe from said vessel, said supply pipe having a greater resistance to liquid flow than the discharge pipe, and vapor generating means for intermittently increasing the pressure in said vessel.

7. In combination, a closed vessel adapted to contain a liquid, heating means for said vessel, an upwardly rising pipe from the lower part of said vessel, a permanently'open liquid supply conduit to said vessel, and liquid flow retarding means in said conduit.

8. A liquid circulating system comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, a container above said vessel, means for supplying liquid to said container, a pipe having high resistance to fluid flow connecting said container to the lower part of said vessel, a second container above first said container, a second pipe connected at one end to the lower part of said vessel and con nected through a gooseneck at its other end to said second container.

9. A liquid circulating system comprising a fluid tight vessel, means for heating said vessel, 2. container abovesaid vessel, a pipe having high resistance to liquid flow connecting said container to the lower part of said vessel, a second container above said first container, and a second pipe connected at one end to the lower part of said. vessel and at its other end through a gooseneck to said second container, and means connecting said containers.

10. A liquid circulating system including i a closed pump vessel, two connections to said vessel, one of said connections having a greater resistance to liquid flow than the other, and vapor generating means for intermittently increasing the pressure in said vessel.

11. A permanently open liquid circulating system including a closed fluid container, liquid flow-retarding means in the system in one direction from said container, and vapor generating means for creating pressure in said container.

12. The method of circulating liquid which comprises heating a confined body of the liquid to increase its pressure, conducting the liquid against gravity in two separate paths from its confinement and restricting the rate of flow of the liquid in one path more than. in the other.

13. The method of circulating liquid which comprises raising the vapor pressure above a body of liquid, conducting the liquid against gravity in two directions from said body and restricting the rate of flow of liquid in one direction from said body more than in the other direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CARL GEORG MUNTERS. 

